Monday, March 30, 2009

Army of Darkness/Xena co-writer Elliott Serrano strikes out on his own for a special "done-in-one" AOD story featuring the art of Dave Simon! Ash goes south of the border to wrestle with a resurrected Aztec warlord who plans to use the Spanish Necronomicon to take take revenge on the descendants of those who killed him and then take over the world.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

This is number 5 of the small (8.5"x6") German photo magazine dedicated to a specific modern horror film and in this issue it's Sam Raimi's Evil Dead (1982). As usual the only text is on the inside and there are about 30 pages of scenes from the film together with lobby cards, posters, and video sleeves so you don't need to speak German. Excellent condition.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Hitting shelves now, the May issue of Empire features a Big Interview with Sam Raimi, a long and wide-ranging chat that featured the thrilling revelation that the god of gore has started work on a script for Evil Dead 4. "We've got nine pages so far. Every time I'm with my brother Ivan, we write another page of it. It's in Detroit and in my garage."

Confirming that he has Bruce Campbell firmly in mind to reprise the iconic role of Ash ("Unless you think I should do it?"), Raimi shared some pointers on what the script has in store so far. "There's some dialogue. Ash being an idiot. Ash taking some abuse. Some character stuff and then some structure of Act Two. Just other possibilities for things that could happen. It's ideas, jokes, things we'd like to see."

It's still early days for the project then, but if you run into Ivan Raimi, it's well worth forcing him onto a plane to Michigan.

In 1979, a bunch of kids got together in a cabin in Tennessee and made a film with a standard B Movie plot. It was directed by Sam Raimi, who's now famous for the Spider-Man films, and stars Bruce Campbell in all three. The Evil Dead somehow managed to make enough money to warrant two sequels and get into the public conciousness. The result of the two sequels was a strange blend where Narm meets Rule Of Cool.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert are one of your closest friends, do you have any projects with them in the near future?

It looks like we're going to work on an Evil Dead re-make (with a new cast and not directed by Sam), so it will be fun to hook up with those guys again. We don't see as much of each other as we all have families and different careers.

Just as the local production on the first season of Legend of the Seeker winds down, another of producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi's latest New Zealand-based productions is about to start shooting. And this one will involve Lucy Lawless - Tapert's missus - in a recurring role.

The show is called Spartacus though it has less to do with the Stanley Kubrick/Kirk Douglas classic take on the story of the Roman rebel slave than with being a hard-edged small screen answer to hit Spartan war flick 300.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

We just spoke with Philadelphia Cheese Steak Legend and star of The Burnt House, Tony Luke Jr., and boy did he serve us a happy wiz-covered helping of first details on his upcoming werewolf/vampire/biker flick, Ride into Terror…possibly starring b-movie legend Bruce Campbell! Co-written and starring Luke Jr., The Burnt House is, according to the actor, “very Quentin Tarantino-ish.”

Have you been in touch with Bruce?I have very dear friends of mine who are in touch with him and they’ve read the script and said, “Tony, Bruce would do this in a minute.”

The new issue of Empire magazine (with Megan Fox on the cover) contains two goodies for ED fans:

1) A long interview with Sam Raimi, conducted by Chris Hewitt, largely about Drag Me To Hell but also covering his career as a whole. Contains some interesting tidbits aboutSpider-Man 3 and why it wasn't all everyone hoped it would be.

2) In the letters page, a stern e-mail from Bruce Campbell taking offence at the rather snotty article about him in the magazine a couple of months ago that was written by... Chris Hewitt.

Well, just took several hours to peruse the features on this puppy, and I've gotta say, I'm truly, truly stunned. First off, the movie looks better than I've ever seen it before, and so does Within the Woods. The menus are unbelievably professional and the extra features on the main disc are pretty damned awesome.

The thing that staggered me though, was the DVD-ROM folder, which packed more awesomeness into a gig and a half than I could possibly account for. I read a local paper from Detroit about Within the Woods from 1979, and saw literally 200 different cover variants for Army of Darkness alone. Thousands of images, more videos and PDF files than I can even begin to delve into and a whole lotta great audio files to boot.

Really, truly, I couldn't ask for anything more. The Evil Dead II disc was sensational for what it offered, but if the Army of Darkness set is anything like this, I really, truly believe everyone who poured the effort into this series should get whatever kind of award they give for this type of thing and more. It's an achievement above and beyond what I could have possibly expected.

However, Campbell himself recently shed a little doubt on the project himself when he told the A/V Club that he felt there should be no more stories involving the Ash Williams protagonist he plays in the “Evil Dead” trilogy. “I think there should be an end to everything,” he responded when asked whether the character of Ash is worthy of more movies. “I mean, did anyone really want ‘Indiana Jones 4′? The answer is no. I’ve taken a poll in about seven theaters now. Of 300 people, three hands go up. You are bound to disappoint.”

Sounds like Campbell might have had enough, no?

However, speaking to Sam Raimi at SXSW on the eve of the premiere of his new film, “Drag Me To Hell,” the director didn’t seem worried in the least and in fact laughed off Campbell’s remarks and insisted the actor would still be onboard whenever they can find time to revisit the beloved cult and campy horror classics.

“He can dream all he wants. He’s trying to get out of getting back in shape,” he smiled. “I’m going to kick his butt in shape. I’m gonna say ‘get back in the chainsaw!’”

So we asked: was this a strong hint towards the future of the “Evil Dead” series? Will we see Raimi return to that world once more?

“I hope to, yes,” Raimi admitted. “Every time I say I would like to [revisit the films], people say, ‘where the hell is it!?!’ But I’m just glad people are still interested. But yes, I would really like to do [another ‘Evil Dead’ film]. I’ve just got a commitment to make ‘Spider-Man 4’ right now though.”

Could Ash Williams just have been pulling the Onion publication’s chain or just been in a mood? Raimi, who’s palpably fond of Campbell, says the actor is gruff on the outside, but a sweetheart at the end of the day. “He’s a really nice, but he pretends that he’s a really rough bastard,” he laughed.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Anchor Bay just passed us word that they will be giving us double the Bruce on DVD. On May 12th you will be able to pick up a double feature DVD with Man With the Screaming Brain and one of my favorites Alien Apocalapyse. The suggested retail price is only $14.98 so if you don't own either film it will be well worth it to pick this up.

We got another confirmation tidbit from our chat today with our friends over at Lionsgate... The critically acclaimed UK frightener The Children will indeed be released in the States by Lionsgate under Sam Raimi's Ghost House Underground label, though Lionsgate is still uncertain if they will release the film theatrically in the US before putting it on DVD. (It'll hit DVD in the UK on March 30th.) Lionsgate is also working on release plans for at least one other GH Underground title. Find out which one after the jump!

Seventh Moon, an Amy Smart starrer about a pair of newlyweds who tango with some nasty Chinese demons, will also get a release from the company. It's directed by Blair Witch Project co-helmer Eduardo Sanchez.

The director of the the “Evil Dead” and “Spider-Man” films insists that the story is a straightforward and uncomplicated one and the film’s ambitions are to simply create a “horror ride.”

“We just wanted to create a really fun experience for people to see in the theaters. You can bring your friends, and you can just scream and laugh, clutch each others hands and scream back at the screen if you need to, just an absurd spook-a-blast of a film.”

Thursday, March 19, 2009

-Booked role as 'Dr. Wheeler' on NBC's "E.R."-Booked role as 'Mom' in the film, "NUMB"-Booked role as 'Clara' in the sci-fi thriller "2084"www.2084movie.com-Booked role as 'Abigail Adams' in the new stageproduction of "Jefferson & Franklin.. Sex, Politics, andThe American Revolution" -- (Greystone - LA)-Booked to appear with "The Ladies" in Nashville topromote 'Evil Dead' AND their "Dangerous Women" webserieswww.ladiesoftheevildead.comwww.strike.tv/show/dangerous-women

Drag Me To Hell is THE horror comeback of the decade. For a director who’s been out of the horror business for so long, it’s incredible to see him jump right back into the game with that much gusto and knock it out of the ballpark. It’s almost like he never left.

The delightfully gnarly death match in the parking garage between a crazy-eyed old gypsy and the delightfully cast Lohman should make one of EW's inevitable future list of best fight scenes. IT WAS AWESOME. Standing ovation. Welcome back, Mr. Raimi.

This isn't a debatable film experience. There is no question about what happened tonight. This wasn't a nostalgic affair. There's no shrugged shoulders or indifferent souls that exited that theater tonight. What we all experienced was a resounding thunderous splitting of the Earth around us experience tonight. There was no spattering of applause, no isolated screams... this wasn't just me acting like a ninny, but 1200 hundred people screaming, shrieking and being shown for the namby pamby bitches that we were in the face of DRAG ME TO HELL!

Sam told me that the tone he was aiming for was a mixture of EVIL DEAD 1 and EVIL DEAD 2. Hell Yeah! That's a bold thing to claim.

What we saw tonight was a masterpiece of American Horror to the Planet Earth!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Hi, this isn't exactly news since its about 20 years old...but the Chiller network recently aired a 1989 episode of Freddy's Nightmares titled "The Light at the End of the Tunnel". Parts of this episode take place in a video rental store and the first establishing shot of the video rental store started off with a close up of an old Evil Dead 2 advertisement hanging from the ceiling. I DVR'ed the episode, so I took a picture of it with my camera.

Bruce Campbell is best known for his starring role as Ash in the Evil Dead. His acting style is an over the top machismo that lends itself well to roles such as that of Ash Williams. Bruce also did numerous cameo appearances in films, often to serve as a comic relief. Here are his numerous movie clips. Adult Language...

I went to the Monster Mania convention this past Sunday in Cherry Hill, NJ, and I saw an advertisement for their next show on June 12th-14th in Hartford-Cromwell, CT, on the back of the program book. It showed that are having a Nightmare On Elm Street Reunion, AND also having Bruce Campbell and the Ladies Of The Evil Dead. I wish I had a scanner so I could show you all this!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

As well as getting a couple of titbits of information about Spider-Man 4 during our SXSW Film Festival interview with Sam Raimi earlier today, IGN also discussed plans for the Evil Dead franchise with the director.

According to the horror helmer, he's dead keen to see a new director take on the original.

"I have talked with my partners about having a young director come in and remake Evil Dead," he revealed. "That film was made in 16mm on a shoestring budget and blown up to 35mm. The visual effects are crumby, it was done in mono, not even stereo, let alone 5.1. What you could do with it now would be so much better.

"I think if you had a new director using the full power of 35mm and 5.1 sound, you could really make a pretty socko presentation. It was always meant for the big screen, but never really seen on the big screen"

But what of Evil Dead 4, Raimi's long-mooted sequel to the trilogy. When IGN caught up with star Bruce Campbell earlier in the year, he was hesitant about signing up for a fourth, claiming that the fan backlash to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull should give everyone involved pause for thought.

"I liked Indy 4," Raimi said when we put this to him. "He's probably just trying to get out of getting in shape!

"Like any movie it's hard to say if you want to do it or if you don't want to do it until there is a script to talk about," he continued. "So one day I hope to have the time to write a script, and if that happens I'm hoping that Bruce will change his mind."

Friday, March 13, 2009

It’s his first horror convention in 16 years… Yes, Fango Hall of Famer Sam Raimi has joined the lineup of the next West Coast edition of FANGORIA’s Weekend of Horrors convention, to be held April 17-19 at the Los Angeles Convention Center (1201 South Figueroa)! The director of the EVIL DEAD and SPIDER-MAN trilogies, Raimi will appear at the show on Friday and screen exclusive clips from his horror comeback, DRAG ME TO HELL.

Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead movies are among my favorite films and the man himself is one of my favorite interviewees. When the Coen brothers released Fargo I interviewed the director about his collaborations with the siblings, which included co-writing The Hudsucker Proxy. At one point in our chat I asked him what he thought about the fact that, while critics routinely lauded the Coens, they tended to regard Raimi as just that guy who makes those schlocky horror movies. His reply? “They’re right. The Coens are artists. And I am just the guy that makes those schlocky horror movies.”

Before director Sam Raimi became the reigning king of superhero movies with his three Spider-Man pictures, he cut his comic book baby teeth on 1990's Darkman and a lesser known television series that ran on Fox from 1994 to 1995 entitled M.A.N.T.I.S.. While Raimi didn't actually direct the short lived series, he did executive produce the series (along with fellow Evil Dead alumni Robert Tapert) and write a few episodes and his quirky mark is all over the place in this show.

The season two finale of BURN NOTICE aired last night (Thursday 3/5) to record numbers!

• LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE WAS A SERIES HIGH FOR BURN NOTICE WITH 6.1 million total viewers.

• BURN NOTICE is the #1 series on cable 2009 to date.

Hey gang,

Just a quick note to say thinks for the continued support of Burn Notice. Thanks to you, we doubled our ratings over the last 2 seasons. That's the best way to make sure a TV show stays on the air - by watching it!

Scanning eBay yesterday, I came across this wicked auction for some hard to find Army of Darkness collector's items and suddenly wished I had $300 to spare.

The auction contains 3 Sideshow toys 1/6 scale versions of Bruce Campbell from Army of Darkness, Regular Ash, Evil Ash and the rare S-Mart Ash. You also get a an Online Exclusive Collector's Club Army of Darkness Action Figure 4-Pack made by Palisades Toys that comes with a lunchbox, a 4 inch collectible "holiday" Ash ornament from Palisades Toys and finally a copy of Army of Darkness, the Director's Cut.

Currently the auction is still there with a Buy it now price of $300US plus shipping.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

This afternoon at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, California, I got to talking with Jeff Katz and artist Jason Craig of Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash who were in the area signing copies of the Dynamite/Wildstorm graphic novel. They opened up a bit and gave me some dirt on the next chapter in the series Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash 2 which has been in the planning stages since last November.

Katz revealed the story will pick shortly after the first mash-up. It begins with the U.S. government venturing out to Crystal Lake where they exhume the Necronomicon from its icy tomb. Jason Voorhees is loosed in the process donning his famous hockey mask guise, now partially blown away from Ash's shotgun so it exposes Jason's shredded, toothsome jaw. (I was fortunate to see some rough artwork, Jason now looks like a Grim Reaper of sorts.) The government makes off with the Necronomicon and begins to tinker around with it. Freddy is somehow brought back...

Thursday, March 5, 2009

This could be one of the most bonkers things you've ever seen. I just received some promotional materials at the station - very cool stuff, especially when Doc ripped open the package and yanked the folder out, without really paying attention. Boy, did he ever jump!

Ticket Info Ticket can be reserved for pickup at the door - snbreservations@gmail.com or 613-520-3770. Due to the immense popularity of the show, reserved tickets not picked up 15 minutes prior to showtime will be released to the public. For more information, please contact Sock ‘n’ Buskin Theatre Company at (613) 520-3770.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival announced major new additions to its 2009 Festival today. Director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man series, Evil Dead trilogy) will debut a work-in-progress version of Universal Pictures’ horror film Drag Me to Hell, the long awaited return to his roots in the genre. The film, which stars Alison Lohman and Justin Long, is an original tale of a young woman’s desperate quest to break an evil curse. Raimi will be in attendance to introduce the screening at midnight, Sunday, March 15, at the Paramount Theatre.

Don't miss out on getting an autographed copy of your original game for the Atari 2600,7800,5200 or Colecovision. Program an original game for one of those systems with any of the Bruce Campbell shows (Evil Dead, Burn Notice, Hercules, Briscoe County Jr, Etc...) and I will have a custom cartridge made of your game that will be autographed (pictures taken of Bruce signing your game) and sent to you at no charge.The game rights are yours as I will only have copies made to be autographed (Number of copies will be predetermined).

Cartridges will be signed on JUNE 5, 6 or 7 (2009) so the deadline for the completed game will be May 1st. That will give me time to have the cartridges made for the show. If you are interested in making a game just let me know so I can get things ready. If you have an original game that you have made and want to redo the graphics that is OK also. Any questions just post them here or send me a PM.

My Name is Bruce is a nice cop-out of a film. That’s not much of an insult, but the film mocks Campbell for starring in Z-grade schlock while the film itself is Z-grade schlock. But it’s done with the right panache for something like it, so it manages to entertain in the process.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

The King of B Movies, Bruce Campbell, plays our game called "I'm a Barbie girl! In a Barbie world! Life in plastic; it's fantastic!" Three questions about the world's favorite blonde doll in honor of her 50th birthday.